The Forgotten Mellark
by LizziLizzi5500
Summary: 'Effie Trinket's squeaky voice, calling out, "The female tribute from District 12 is… Callie Mellark!"' 74th Hunger Games, character death and violence in later chapters.


_**Callie**_

Effie Trinket's high pitched, squeaky voice, calling out to the crowds of people, "Ladies first, as is polite. The Female Tribute for District 12, in the 73rd Hunger Games, is... "Her hand, with its long, shiny blue fake nails, grabbed around in the girls' Reaping ball. She pulled out a single slip of paper. One slip in thousands had my name on it. Just one. "Callie Mellark! Come on up, Callie!"

No. It was a mistake. Effie would laugh, say; "Only joking!" in her silly squeaky Capitol accent, and then pick another name. Another name out of thousands. But the eyes of hundreds of little girls turned towards me, full of fear, and relief as well. I had no choice. I am going into the Hunger Games. I am going to die.

As I walked up to the stage that was put up in front of the Justice building, I could feel the eyes of the whole district on me, watching my reaction. No-one ever thinks it fair when a twelve year old is chosen. I didn't cry, I couldn't cry, but by the time I reached the stage I was shaking like a leaf. Haymitch, sensing that I was about to collapse, offered me a chair. Hmm, strange. Maybe he wasn't as drunk as usual.

Effie wobbled over to the boys' Reaping ball in her ridiculously high blue heels. Again, she reached around in the Reaping ball for a while before finally grasping a piece of paper. The name of my District partner. But whose name?

"And the male tribute for District 12 this year is... Jaimey Cloud!" Oh no. Not him. As Jaimey made his way through the other 17 year old boys to the stage, I sought out my best friend, Leevy Cloud, in the sea of faces. I could see the pain and sorrow in her tearful grey eyes. She knew that, here in District 12, the word 'tribute' is practically synonymous with 'corpse'. She knew that after the last goodbyes were said, she would never see either of us face-to-face again. She knew that she would see us both die on her television screen. Both me, and her brother.

"Congratulations to our newest District 12 tributes; Callie Mellark and Jaimey Cloud!" Effie tottered off the stage, and then a squad of Peacekeepers came over to us. We followed them into the Justice Building and into a musty old lift. I'd never been in a lift before, but I must say that this one was a disappointment. It seemed like years before we reached the top, and even then it took a minute for the doors to creak slowly open. The doors opened onto a long, dark corridor, and the Peacekeepers gestured for us both to go out into it. As we walked down the corridor, one of the Peacekeepers took Jaimey into one of the doors coming off, the room where he would say his last goodbyes to his family and friends. Soon afterwards, one of the other Peacekeepers stopped outside a door at the end of the corridor. Opening it, he showed me inside.

In the room, there was a single threadbare sofa. I went to sit down on it, and I noticed that it was made of velvet. Velvet. A luxurious material that came from the Capitol. I ended up stroking my fingers up and down it as I waited for mother, father, Peeta, Rehan and Liam to come and say goodbye. Maybe Leevy would come too. It would be nice to talk to her one last time.

The door opened and my family came rushing in. We all knew that we needed to savour our last moments together, and I found myself in a crush of arms and heads and bodies. Even mother, usually so strict and angry all the time, hugged me tightly. She even gave me a small badge, as my District token. It was silver, and had a loaf of bread on it. Engraved on the back were the words, "We love you. Remember that." The last gift I would ever receive from my family.

"Callie." Peeta's voice, full of love and sorrow. "Callie, you have to win. Ally with Jaimey, anyone else you think can help you. You're little, you're cute, the Capitol will love you. You'll have sponsors by the dozen, as long as you play it right. You..." Father interrupted him, saying, "Peeta! Don't do that, you'll overwhelm her. Callie knows what she has to do, don't you Callie?" I couldn't speak, so overwhelmed with my family's love for me. I knew that we'd never see each other again, that there was no chance of me winning, even if I allied with the Careers. But I couldn't disappoint my family like that. I'd have to try.

"Yes, I know. I have to win. I'll do it, for all of you." Even thought I can't.

_**Jaimey**_

I watched as Effie wobbled over to the girls' Reaping ball in her silly-high shoes. I have no idea how women manage to walk around like that full time! I prayed silently that Leevy or Sarah wouldn't be Reaped. My two younger sisters. I couldn't even imagine life without them, and mother would be devastated. "Ladies first, as is polite. The Female Tribute for District 12, in the 73rd Hunger Games, is... " Please not Leevy. Please not Serah. Please. "Callie Mellark! Come on up, Callie!" Thank goodness! My sisters are safe for another year. But Callie ... I didn't know her personally, but I knew that she was Leevy's best friend; the two of them were unseperable. I had no idea how she would cope seeing her best friend dying for the Capitol's entertainment.

Now it was our turn. The boys. I watched as Effie clomped over to the boys' Reaping ball. "And the male tribute for District 12 this year is..." Not me. Not Jaimey Cloud. "Jaimey Cloud! Come on up, Jaimey!" It can't be. Not me. The odds... are NOT in my favour. As I made my way up to the stage, I glanced at Callie. She looked as though she was about to faint. To be honest, I felt the same way myself. Oh, well. Maybe we could ally, then we'd both have more chance. Although, she would have to die too if I was to win.

"Congratulations to our newest District 12 tributes; Callie Mellark and Jaimey Cloud!"

I sat down on the single sofa in the room, mentally preparing myself for my last goodbyes to my family. I'd promise them that I would win, I'd promise Leevy that I would ally with Callie to give us both a better chance. At least, I would until she was killed or I had to kill her. I wondered briefly how Leevy would react to seeing me kill her best friend on television, but then I heard voices outside.

As the door opened, I took a deep breath. I couldn't cry, or the Careers and other tributes would mark me down as a weakling, to weed out before the real Games began. "Jaimey! You can win, Jaimey! I know you can!" My family, mother, Leevy and Serah, shoving through the door, wanting to be with me as long as possible before I left to the Capitol, to my almost-certain death.

I started to instruct Leevy and Serah about what to do for food. I had been the provider of food for my family since my father died in a coal mining accident years ago, so they had to know how to do it without me. "There's a girl called Katniss Everdeen, she lives in the Seam near to the fence. Talk to her. Trade something with her, washing or sewing or something, for her to teach you how to hunt. Her father died in the same accident as ours, she understands." I had met up with Katniss in the woods one day; we were in the same year in school so we knew each other. She had once suggested becoming hunting partners, but I preferred hunting on my own. It gave me more satisfaction, and I didn't like relying on someone else. I still don't, which I was sort of nervous about allying with Callie, but I knew Leevy would never forgive me if I made it home without having even tried to help her.

Before I knew it, the Peacekeepers came back, asking my family to leave. I had the final hugs and good wishes from my sisters. As she was leaving, mother gave me a kiss on the cheek, and pressed a small, wooden ball into my hand. My token. The last gift from my family. "I love you! All of you!" I screamed out, just as the door was closing. I wasn't sure, but I thought I heard an echo of the words, "We love you, too!" from just outside the door.


End file.
